Friday, November 18, 2016

What does the Ghost of King Hamlet symbolize?

The ghost is a symbol of the troubles coming to Denmark. When Horatio, who first disbelieves the guard's tale of seeing a ghost, actually witnesses it with his own eyes, he is unnerved. He states it is a warning that dire events are coming and mentions the way the ghosts rose from their graves in Rome right before the assassination of Julius Caesar. That the ghost appears in full armor is also a fearful sign that bloodshed is in the air. Horatio says:

Such was the very armor he had on When he the ambitious Norway combated

When Hamlet hears the report that his father's ghost appeared in armor, he too fears that "all is not well."
The ghost's appearance is an ominous sign of a world out of joint, foretelling disaster for Denmark. Spirits only walk the earth when heaven and earth are out of alignment.
That the ghost wears armor, and specifically the armor in which he killed the late Fortinbras, also shows the price of violence. Fortinbras's son, also named Fortinbras, is now marching with an army towards Denmark, seeking revenge for his father's death. The cycle of revenge will haunt this play from beginning to end.


The ghost of Hamlet's father is a symbol of the treachery and corruption in the Danish court. Claudius's murder of his brother, the old King Hamlet, initiates a corrupt chain of events that begins with Claudius's incestuous and rapid marriage to his sister-in-law, Gertrude, and progresses through a large number of tragic deaths. There is the death of Ophelia, as well as the murders of Polonius, Rosencrantz, and Guildenstern. Laertes dies, Gertrude dies, and even Hamlet himself dies in the end. Eventually all of the members of the royal family and even their closest advisers must be eradicated; the court of Denmark must be utterly purged in order for the country to move on and prosper again. Though the dead king, himself, was just and good, his ghost can only exist because of the betrayal of his brother. The betrayal and rot spreads until all have been punished and are dead.


The Ghost is a symbol of the consequences of death in the afterlife.
Essential quotation:
“I am thy father's spirit, / Doom'd for a certain term to walk the night, / And for the day confined to fast in fires, / Till the foul crimes done in my days of nature / Are burnt and purged away.”

The narrative voice changes in the last stanza of the poem. What is the voice saying, and what is the effect of this change?

"Translation" was written about reburial of the remains of former inmates of a Magdalene home. The change of narrative voice in the last stanza is related to the identity of the different individuals involved in the Magdalene homes or laundries. Particular nuns carried keys, functioning as prison guards.
Even though the sisters had authority over the "sinful" women, or unwed mothers, their choices were also limited. The sisters and workers changed their names and identities when they entered the convents and work "homes."
When the key keeper relinquishes her post, it seems here that she speaks of the effects of the experience. Like someone infested or possessed with a parasite or a spell she was not her full self. Leaving her job or life itself will bring her the peace that eluded them all when confined in the home.

What means does malala propose for eradicating terrorism?

Malala believes that terrorism can be defeated through the power of education. In particular, she believes that if girls are empowered through education, it will make it more difficult for terrorists to gain support among the wider population.
Malala speaks from personal experience. She was almost killed by a terrorist one morning as she made her way to school. The man was from a fundamentalist Islamic organization called the Taliban, which believes that education for girls is a dangerous Western idea and should not be permitted. Malala recognizes that terrorists are afraid of the power of education. They know that the better educated people are, the less likely they are to support the kind of violent fundamentalism groups such as the Taliban endorse.

What is a summary of chapter one?

This chapter serves as an introduction to why O'Rourke wrote the book, how he intends to write it, and what it will be.
O'Rourke starts by saying the primary focus of his book is to determine what makes some places rich and others poor. He determines it is neither resource nor education, and puts forth a self admittedly weak postulation that it is something to do with money.
O'Rourke tells about his life when he was younger in the 70's, going to college as a hippy and getting a job as a journalist, and how he didn't care for economics then despite seeing some of the most important economics of the time happen right before his eyes. He realizes that most people do not think actively about money, and tries to reason why. He thinks that money may just be too complicated, or that people would just rather not think about money.
After saying some words about how economics is boring, particularly classic economics, he explains what he will do in the book. He would investigate successful places and poor places, and see if he could figure out what made each one the way it was, in hopes that a broader pattern would emerge.

Thursday, November 17, 2016

Is Lynn Nottage's Ruined an effective vehicle for social change?

Lynn Nottage's play can certainly be viewed as a vehicle for social change. Ruined won the 2009 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. Nottage having won the award would not be considered an obvious choice, rather, a unique one: the prize is supposed to be given to "a distinguished play by an American author, preferably original in its source and dealing with American life." While Nottage is an American author, Ruined conveys the story of Mama Nadi, a brothel-keeper in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The play does not rely on Western characters or stereotypes, offering a ruthlessly real look into circumstances of sexual abuse and murder among women in the Second Congo War.
The decade-long civil war in the Congo saw more casualties than Iraq, Afghanistan and Darfur combined; by 2008, the war had caused approximately 5.4 million deaths. Ruined is a work of social justice politics, and the violence and ethical issues associated with the conflict are humanitarian concerns Nottage wished to share with the world. Nottage's variety of written works focus on marginalized and vulnerable populations, giving voice to their concerns.
In Ruined, Nottage focuses specifically on war against women and their bodies, which can be seen as part of a greater dialogue on wartime violence against women occurring throughout the modern world. The author views theatre and art as means of demonstrating society and culture in a way that moves people to find parallels between their own circumstances and those experienced by humanity as a whole. The play originally premiered at the Goodman Theatre and ran between November and December of 2008. It opened Off-Broadway at the New York City Center in 2009, after nine extensions. The play has since been performed in London, United Kingdom; Toronto, Canada; and Ipswich, Australia. The play's numerous accolades and productions around the world indicate its ability to move audiences and influence social change.
https://www.theguardian.com/stage/theatreblog/2009/apr/21/lynn-nottage-ruined-pulitzer-prize

What is the setting of "The Story of an Hour"?

"The Story of an Hour," by Kate Chopin, is set in the home of the main character, Louise Mallard. It is not made clear where in the house Mrs Mallard is at the beginning of the story, when her sister Josephine breaks the news of her husband's death, but after learning the news, Louise goes to her room and closes herself in. She then spends the greater part of the story in this room.
Louise sinks into a chair facing the window, from which she can look down onto the street. It is a rainy day, and she can hear various noises going on below, such as somebody singing and sparrows twittering.
There is no clue offered in the story as to where Louise Mallard's house is actually situated. We know that she lives somewhere that is connected to a railway network, as she believes her husband to have been killed on the railway. Given that Kate Chopin was American, the story is probably set in the United States, but again, this is not made explicit.
In terms of chronological setting, there is no reason to suppose that the story is not set contemporaneously with the time of writing, which is to say, in the 1890s.

Who is the greediest character in The Pearl?

In The Pearl, John Steinbeck deploys a powerful central symbol to support his critique of materialism. Greed motivates desire for wealth and prosperity, which many of the characters display. Possession of the valuable peral changes Kino; even though he wants to use it to save his son, the object and the possibilities it represents take on a life of their own. For the first time, he can contemplate a life of comfort. Yet in his innermost self, Kino retains a kind of purity. He wants what is best for his son and his wife, and he hopes for dignity and respect. Although Kino displays greed, he is not completely transformed.
Among all the individuals who attach themselves to Kino, the doctor seems the most affected by greed. At the outset, he refuses as a rule to treat patients who cannot pay upfront. Once he realizes that Kino has such a valuable item, however, he goes one step further. He prolongs the boy’s suffering just so he can benefit financially. This unethical behavior is motivated only by his desire for wealth.

What is the theme of the chapter Lead?

Primo Levi's complex probing of the Holocaust, including his survival of Auschwitz and pre- and post-war life, is organized around indiv...